Ivory Coast The Juicy side of the Story

Côte d'Ivoire is a political impasse following the presidential election that was supposed to reunite the country.What went wrong?

After the failed coup of 2002 has turned into rebellion with the occupation by rebel forces in northern countries, it was organized the round table Marcoussis in France that brought together 10 political parties and groups .Participants agreed to establish a national unity government and the disarmament of rebels and militias.This should be done under the supervision of the French Forces and West Africa to create the right conditions and necessary to organize presidential elections free, fair and democratic.A new Electoral Commission, composed of representatives of different political parties and groupings was established.The Independent Electoral Commission is composed of 46 members including 42 that is to say, 9% are pro-Gbagbo, who is president candidate to succeed himself and 419 members who are pro-opposition and Alassane Ouattara.The Chairman of the Board, Mr. Youssouf Bakayoko, is a pro-Ouattara.To balance things and lend credibility to the work of the IEC, the procedure that was chosen for the proclamation of results is the consensus and the counting of ballots manually and electronically.The Constitution says that the Ivorian Independent Electoral Commission has 72 hours to announce the results of interim consolidated consensus.The Constitutional Council is the only and highest court of the country entrusted to proclaim the final results of presidential elections after considering all requests made and the irregularities observed.It is important to note that the Government had disarmed the militias in the southern zone under its control.Forces rebels occupying the north of the country did not relent.The deadlock that saw the Ivory Coast was born massive fraud that the electronic counting showed concern and the country still under rebel control.The reports, Pv and other election documents relating to the votes in these areas have shown that in most cases, the number of votes cast exceeded the number of registered voters.In addition, the reports show African election observers, guests and accredited by the Independent Electoral Commission, as pro-Gbagbo voters were intimidated, were physically assaulted (including rape and murder) of polling stations were empty of representatives of the candidate Gbagbo to allow the stuffing of ballot boxes and transporting them by elements of the rebel forces.This is quite contrary to election laws and democracy.Count results in the Bandama valley, under rebel control, has not allowed the IEC to reach a consensus.

According to documents submitted to the commission at the end of voting, the opposition candidate had the following results: Katiola (38,416) votes, Bouake (42,070); Beoumi (19,058); Dabakala (34,398); Sakassou (15,656) This should give a total of 149,598 votes.

However, Sangare Moussa, chairman of the IEC of the Valley of Bandama, reported on a total of 244,571 Pv voice.Either an addition of 94,873 votes for the opposition candidate Alassane Ouattara.At the end of the election process, all observers and officials of both candidates claimed that voter turnout was 70%.A few hours later, the president of the Independent Electoral Commission announced a turnout of 81% a difference of 11 points.Then, out of a total 20,073 ballots subject to electronic verification, 2000 were rejected digit of the number of voters is not compatible with the number of registrants.All cases of fraud reported amount to more than 600,000 votes.Out of 19 electoral regions and departments, the Central Board of the CEI had consolidated 15.But the commission had difficulty reaching a consensus regarding the remaining regions and departments, areas under rebel control and where serious irregularities were observed.In addition to these irregularities, the spokesman for the IEC, acting without the consensus required by the procedure without waiting for adjudication of the Constitutional Council, took it upon himself to overturn the results of all France's first round and that the second round when clashes erupted between Ivorians in only three polling stations in Paris.These votes, and serious irregularities (intimidation, damage to physical integrity, publicly stripped and raped women, murder), denounced and documented) in the observers' reports should be submitted for consideration by the Constitutional Council for deliberation.Because then all these irregularities and especially because of the inability of the Independent Electoral Commission to announce preliminary results in time and manner prescribed by law, he returned, according to the Constitution of Côte d'Ivoire, the Council constitutional right to take up the case, deliberate and announce the final results of the presidential election.But while the Constitutional Council was at work, the Chairman of the Independent Electoral Commission was hurriedly ferried to the Golf Hotel, headquarters of the opposition candidate, to illegally declare the results and declare before the cameras a French TV and foreign and UN representative Ouattara won the presidential election.Subsequently, the Constitutional Council has declared that the Independent Electoral Commission was foreclosed and she had not, according to the procedures and requirements of the Ivorian Constitution to declare Ouattara winner.It is equally important to emphasize that "preliminary results" certified by the UN Representative and communicated by him are illegal and void.Provided that the Representative of the UN certifies that the final results announced by the Constitutional Council and the entire electoral process.It has therefore exceeded its powers.The Constitutional Council has analyzed all the irregularities, reviewed all applications, reports, Minutes and all election documents and reported responsibly Laurent Gbagbo won the election.It was the beginning of the post-election nightmare Ivorian.